Time frame to return products
Is there a time frame that a customer has to follow to return a product once they are issued a return label
Can someone request a return and wait as long as they want to send the order back? Am i charged for the return label when it's issued or when it's used?
I have 5 expensive MF orders in my manage returns , some for over 18 days
Time frame to return products
Is there a time frame that a customer has to follow to return a product once they are issued a return label
Can someone request a return and wait as long as they want to send the order back? Am i charged for the return label when it's issued or when it's used?
I have 5 expensive MF orders in my manage returns , some for over 18 days
18 replies
Seller_Hi7wbO2Kbo6bl
Sorry I cannot give you a more definitive answer, but you cannot find anything in Help now.
Amazon does have buyer facing instructions, but they aren't enforced.
I believe the only limit to the return time is the expiration on the prepaid label, and that's the information I could not find. I don't know just how long the label is good for.
Anyone ??
Seller_nRFmxiQg4EGrw
I have seen it stated that a customer has 30 days once the label is created to ship the item back.
I've also seen it stated as 45 days.
And I've heard reports of people getting back returns after an even longer time. It's totally out of your control.
As to the important part of your question, I think that Amazon will charge you for the label, but will refund it to you when it's not used by whatever deadline they choose that day. For me, it's generally been over 45 days, but under 2 months (I think; I don't bother tracking all that closely; also don't have many returns).
What you do NOT want to do is to encourage the customer to complete the return. Best case is that they forget about it, or decide it's not worth the trouble; at some point, they are stuck with it, and you get all your money for the sale, including the refund of the return label. Just ignore it until it goes away, or you get the item back.
Seller_roNdLQpqbVoOH
Amazon used to say this about customer returns:
To request return information, contact the third-party seller within 14 days of receipt. Your return must be postmarked within 30 days of the date you received the item.
It really doesn't matter if the Help pages still say that, because Amazon in no way follows this dictum.
I've always been under the impression that we are charged for return labels when they are used. But I could be mistaken and/or that may no longer be the case.
Seller_WtOwWhtSrFjva
I give 30 days and then I cancel the return. Most of the time the label is issued but not charged unless it is actually used. I will check the tracking to see if it is on the way.
Seller_8ESHZD3bXlVUv
Amazon prepaid returns can be mailed at any time after the label is created, assuming the customer printed it. (I think Amazon hides the label after it *expires*, though it can still be used).
FWIW I've gotten returns back well over 6 months past the purchase date. You'll get billed for the label once it's used. I had a return like this just last week, actually, and the label was requested 2 days after it was delivered (mid summer). Customer got a full season of use out of the item then sent it back just before Christmas. The Amazon automated system has me on the hook for refunding when this happens when that prepaid label should have been voided. Highly frustrating and should not happen, but it does.
I would very much prefer to be released from an obligatory refund if the return is delivered more than 60 days from the return label date. That's PLENTY of time to pack it and get it to a US courier of some sort.
Seller_gatjkdfPmzT4O
You get charged after the label is used. They have 30 days from the last estimated delivery date to open a return request (Not 30 days from when they get it, so yeah you get punished as a seller for delivering early by having to provide extra days for return window on top of the 30 days). From what I've been able to tell, the return window once return is requested and label generated is good for 50 days. After 50 days I've seen the returns change status to closed. Not sure if they can still use the label and Amazon just opens it back up but I would not be surprised at all if that's the case.
Seller_8E2W4sWZI4a7g
With the exception of October, which is extended to allow for the holiday returns period…
After 60 days from the order date you should see a “Closed” status next to the return item in the returns page. After 120 days the tracking on the label expires and it can no longer be downloaded by the buyer. Unfortunately, I don’t know what impact the “Closed” status has on the buyer if they have already downloaded the label. It may simply mean that “in theory” we are not required to accept the item back after it is closed but of course there is ultimately no support for this.
Seller_SJRMV3s4mNrFA
From the USPS:
USPS Shipping Labels Technically Do Expire
Technically, USPS shipping labels expire 28 days after you purchase them. Maybe “expire” isn’t the right word; 28 days is the cutoff point when USPS deems the labels no longer valid.
All this said, USPS generally gives a 2-3 day grace period for shipping labels. However, each Post Office operates differently based on their own discretion. In our experience, some locations might even take your labels up to a couple of weeks after the ship date marked on them. Others will reject labels if you bring your packages in one day after the ship date on the labels. It all depends!
Seller_LAigNSQBmElpV
Customer facing says 30 days after delivery. YOu can close the return after 50 days and hope for the best.
Seller_z1JDNz6de1lqc
they can wait until 29 days after the latest estimated original delivery date then they have another 15 days to get item scanned .
